The 2008 Beantown Blitz (Hosted by team #125)

[Brandon Holley]

Despite my hardest attempts to be as lazy as possible with this, the golden trackball details have arrived....below is the list of rule changes for the 2008 Beantown Blitz. Comments are of course always welcome, and I'd be glad to answer any questions.


General Rules:

1. The “freeze frame” method of scoring is gone at the beantown blitz. The robots and balls will be scored when they come to REST, not when the buzzer sounds. Yes this applies for hybrid mode too.
2. A <G22> modification will be made for the lane dividers only (not the start/finish lines). A robot must completely cross back over a lane divider to be penalized, as opposed to the current rule of any part crossing back over to be penalized.

Golden Ball Rules:

3. Two Golden Balls will be perched above each alliance station (1 over red, 1 over blue). They will be on a ramp and locked in such a way that only 1 can be released in any given match (which one that is released is dependent upon hybrid mode, see below). The golden ball is the same size and weight as the regular trackballs, but just gold in color.
a. The golden ball will be awarded to the team that scores the most in Hybrid mode.
b. That hybrid winning alliance will have the ability to release the ball into the field of play at their discretion.
c. The Golden ball can be possessed by any team (and scored by any team for that matter)
d. It can be scored like any other trackball, with a few exceptions. There are 2 additional points awarded when scoring the Golden ball.
i. 4 points for a herd
ii. 10 points for a hurdle
iii. NO POINTS for capping the golden ball at the end of regulation!!***


See everyone at the blitz, where there are even more surprises in store!

[Spider-Man]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Despite my hardest attempts to be as lazy as possible with this, the golden trackball details have arrived....below is the list of rule changes for the 2008 Beantown Blitz. Comments are of course always welcome, and I'd be glad to answer any questions.


General Rules:

1. The “freeze frame” method of scoring is gone at the beantown blitz. The robots and balls will be scored when they come to REST, not when the buzzer sounds. Yes this applies for hybrid mode too.
2. A <G22> modification will be made for the lane dividers only (not the start/finish lines). A robot must completely cross back over a lane divider to be penalized, as opposed to the current rule of any part crossing back over to be penalized.

Golden Ball Rules:

3. Two Golden Balls will be perched above each alliance station (1 over red, 1 over blue). They will be on a ramp and locked in such a way that only 1 can be released in any given match (which one that is released is dependent upon hybrid mode, see below). The golden ball is the same size and weight as the regular trackballs, but just gold in color.
a. The golden ball will be awarded to the team that scores the most in Hybrid mode.
b. That hybrid winning alliance will have the ability to release the ball into the field of play at their discretion.
c. The Golden ball can be possessed by any team (and scored by any team for that matter)
d. It can be scored like any other trackball, with a few exceptions. There are 2 additional points awarded when scoring the Golden ball.
i. 4 points for a herd
ii. 10 points for a hurdle
iii. NO POINTS for capping the golden ball at the end of regulation!!***


See everyone at the blitz, where there are even more surprises in store!

FIRST rules state that points go to the alliance with the same color as the trackball. As you state the rules, wouldn't the trackball score 4 points for each alliance as it passed around the track, i.e. redabot scores 10 points for a hurdle while giving up 4 points to the blue alliance as the ball is taken over the blue finish line?

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Spider-Man

FIRST rules state that points go to the alliance with the same color as the trackball. As you state the rules, wouldn't the trackball score 4 points for each alliance as it passed around the track, i.e. redabot scores 10 points for a hurdle while giving up 4 points to the blue alliance as the ball is taken over the blue finish line?

For a ball to be herded (not hurdled) and count for 4 points, it must not be in contact with a robot (as the rules are currently). The same thing is true for the golden ball (if a robot is escorting a ball across a finish line, the ball will not score for either alliance). I hope this is clear.

[Spider-Man]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

For a ball to be herded (not hurdled) and count for 4 points, it must not be in contact with a robot (as the rules are currently). The same thing is true for the golden ball (if a robot is escorting a ball across a finish line, the ball will not score for either alliance). I hope this is clear.

That's what I was wondering. The official rules state that if an opposing robot is in contact with a robot, the points count. As you have clarified, any robot touching the golden ball as it crosses the line underneath the overpass, no points are scored.

[whytheheckme]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

c. The Golden ball can be possessed by any team (and scored by any team for that matter)

I'm a bit confused. Are the points awarded to the alliance that performed the scoring action (herding, hurdling), or are the points awarded always to the alliance that won the trackball in hybrid (i.e. either alliance could herd/hurdle the ball, but only RED alliance gets the points for it.)

-Jacob

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

I'm a bit confused. Are the points awarded to the alliance that performed the scoring action (herding, hurdling), or are the points awarded always to the alliance that won the trackball in hybrid (i.e. either alliance could herd/hurdle the ball, but only RED alliance gets the points for it.)

-Jacob

If the golden ball goes over the red overpass its 10 points for red, if it goes over the blue, its 10 points for blue...across the red finish line (on its own power) 4 points for red, across the blue finish line (on its own power) 4 points for blue.

[acdcfan259]

That's going to be crazy weird to officiate

[whytheheckme]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

If the golden ball goes over the red overpass its 10 points for red, if it goes over the blue, its 10 points for blue...across the red finish line (on its own power) 4 points for red, across the blue finish line (on its own power) 4 points for blue.

So, for red to score twice, it must also score for blue, at least once?

[Joe G.]

not necissarily, if red hurdles, gains possession before passing blue's finish line, does a lap, and hurldles again, red will gain 20 points from the hurdles, and nullify the 4 blue would have gotten by being in possession of the ball during a herd.

[Ryan Foley]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

So, for red to score twice, it must also score for blue, at least once?

You are partially right. After the ball is hurdled by red, the ball will have to cross the blue finish line before it can score for red. However, if the red robot is in contact with the ball as it crosses the blue finish line, it will not count for blue points. If the ball crosses the blue line under it's own momentum, it will score for blue.

[ika]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

So, for red to score twice, it must also score for blue, at least once?

i.e. if, say, red scores and takes possession of the ball while they go over blue's finish line, blue doesnt get anything.

same thing really as what the person above said about contact while crossing opponent's line

[andrew348]

Love the golden trackball addition to the game. It will bring so much more strategy into the mix. Can't wait to see it in action.

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by acdcfan259

That's going to be crazy weird to officiate

We already have a system in place, and it is not going to be as bad as you think it is going to be.

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

So, for red to score twice, it must also score for blue, at least once?

As other people have clarified...yes the ball must go around the track potentially scoring for blue, however if you acquire the ball before it gets to the blue finish line no points for blue. I hope its clear for everyone.

We were trying to accomplish something here by saying that a lot of the time (not all, but a decent amount), there were 3 capable scoring robots on an alliance...Now we get to see what happens if 3 capable scoring robots can control 3 balls and score all 3 balls. I'm excited to see it pan out.

[acdcfan259]

Is anyone going to be getting the video for TBA?

[AmoryG]

I'm surprised. I agree with all of the new rules in place (especially since now you have to back the whole robot over the line to get penalized). This is a new beginning!